This is one of the biggest and most significant finds ever in Europe, Tonio Fenech, parliamentary secretary in the Finance Ministry, said yesterday.

The contraband shipment was being carried in three containers. Mr Fenech explained that the containers’ movements had been monitored for some time since certain documents had raised suspicions.

The Customs departments’ misgivings were confirmed when the containers were x-rayed using the mobile x-ray unit VACIS given to Malta by the American government.

The x-rays showed that the merchandise in the back of the containers was different to that at the front. This suggested that whoever had loaded the container was trying to hide something.

The containers had been declared to contain video games and when one of the containers was unloaded yesterday the first two rows of boxes did indeed contain video CD players.

After these were unloaded, items wrapped in black garbage bags were found hidden behind them.

The cigarette packets seized were marked as being Gauloises Blondes but Mr Fenech said that although they look authentic, the cigarettes are in fact not genuine since the serial number on each and every packet is the same. These cigarettes are made from very low quality material and are therefore even more harmful to one’s health than a branded cigarette, he explained.

The Customs department expressed its gratitude to the Freeport Terminal authorities for their cooperation.

The cigarettes have been confiscated and legal action will be taken against the people responsible for shipping them.